Picture this. A poet and a king set up a dance school but no student turns up!
Poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and Manakulam Manavikrama Raja established Kalamandalam in 1930 on the banks of the Bharathapuzha with the primary intention of resuscitating dying performing art forms such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Koodiyattam.
Thankamani Gopinath
The beginning had been made. But, where would the students come from? Noted author of children’s literature Leela Nambudiripad (pen name Sumangala) describes the situation thus: “No respectable family was willing to send their wards to train in these decadent dances, which carried a stigma. Manavikrama Raja convinced his karyasthan Govindan Nair to enrol his daughter Mangatt Mulaykkal Thankamani (1918-1990) of Kunnamkulam, to train in Mohiniyattam under Mangara Kalyani Amma (who, on the invite of Rabindranath Tagore, later moved to Santiniketan).”
This happens to be the birth centenary year of the young girl who entered the portals of Kalamandalam to set in motion, quite unknowingly, the revival of Mohiniyattam. This first student of the dance of the enchantress, in later years, however, earned renown not for her mastery over Mohiniyattam but as the partner in dance of Guru Gopinath.
Guru Gopinath as Hiranyakashipu and Thankamani as Kayathu
Connecting the dots in the danseuse’s career to throw light on her can only be done through the words of those who knew her talent. There is little available by way of documentation except what her husband, Guru Gopinath, has put down in his autobiography Ente Jeevithasmaranakal .
In memories
Recalling her memories of her dancer-mother, Vinodini Sasimohan says, “I have not seen her perform because she chose to be a homemaker after I was born. But, I have heard opinions expressed on her Kantuka nritham and Panthadi nritham . Her grace was what many have extolled. She, with my father, Guru Gopinath, appeared as the dancer-duo in Prahlada (1941), the first mythological film in Malayalam. Playback singing was yet to feature in films and it is assumed that both Guruji and Thankamani had sung in the film. She continued to teach dance both in New Delhi and Chennai where they relocated to in the course of their journey in dance. Once my parents settled in Thiruvanthapuram and set up Vishwa Kala Kendram, my mother spent more time on the farm.”
Thankamani Gopinath with her daughters Vilasini and Vinodini
What were the Mohiniyattam memories the mother had shared with the daughter? “In fact,” says Vinodini, “she used to appreciate the new format adopted and always made mention of the costume used during her times, saying it lacked the grace and finesse, which are marks of the form now, she felt.”
Thankamani’s stint in Kalamandalam was rather brief. Marriage to fellow dancer Gopinath in 1937 saw a shift in her dance style. Those were the days when Gopinath had made his mark as the dance partner to Ragini Devi, and on his return to Kalamandalam, Vallathol had entrusted him with the task of leading a Kalamandalam dance troupe with Thankamani and four other dancers.
An ill-timed expression of his desire to marry Thankamani altered the situation. ‘Marriage and dance will not work’ was the stand Vallathol had maintained. The marriage received the blessings of the patrons but the young Gopinath decided to step out of Kalamandalam to carve a niche for himself in popularising Kathakali.
The Gopinath-Thankamani pair, now on their own, earned repute as the handsome couple performing Kathakali Natanam and later Kerala Natanam. After her marriage, she mastered Kerala Natanam and remained the strong woman behind the success of her husband, responsible for teaching and managing the troupe.
Incomparable poise
Piecing together his memories of the Guru and his wife, Koodiyattam exponent G. Venu says, “As the first student of Guru Gopinath at the Vishwa Kala Kendram, where I spent five years, I have had occasions to witness the incomparable poise Thankamani chechi brought to her performances. There was a time when no public event was considered complete without a performance by this dancer-couple. Thankamani chechi took charge of the teaching and one could not miss her influence in many of the pieces that Guruji choreographed. ‘Sister Nivedita’ saw her essay the role of Sarada Devi, their daughter Vilasini as Sister Nivedita and Guruji as Swami Vivekananda. There was timeliness in the dance form that Guru Gopinath gave shape to, and her contribution was significant.”
Those were the times of royal patronage and, impressed by the ‘Mayura Nrittam’ performed before Amma Maharani and Sri Chithira Thirunal, Guru Gopinath was honoured with the Veera Shrinkala. Aswathy Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi remembers learning dance under Thankamani during the summer breaks they took in Madras [Chennai]. “I do not remember her performance but I do have vivid memories of her as a woman of elegance. Of course, the couple was honoured by Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who conferred on them the status of the palace dancer, and the responsibility of conducting the affairs of the Nrityalayam.”
‘Strikingly beautiful’
A comprehensive picture of the life and times of Thankamani Gopinath comes from Indira Ramakrishna Pillai, veteran social worker, whose father G.P. Shekhar was “a mentor to Gopinath who came to Thiruvananththapuram at the young age of 21.” Sitting in her home, she recalls, “This was the house Gopinath and Thankamani came to as newlyweds; a marriage for which Gopinath spent 10 days in prayer to his deity, Mookambika Devi. I remember she was a strikingly beautiful woman and in the ‘Shiva-Parvati’ and ‘Lakshmi-Narayana’ performances, they were unparalleled.”
Talking from experience and her assessment of the societal norms in those decades, the octogenarian accepts that Thankamani did not get the space she deserved because those were days when women were meant to remain in the shadows. “It only reflects the mindset of the time. Needless to say, Thankamani’s effort in structuring a composition was evident in the technical details incorporated. She was not materialistic, and her spirit of dedication was evident in how she single-handedly managed the students of the Nrityalayam. Her contribution to the Sri Chitrodayam Nrityalayam cannot be confined to her role as a teacher alone. In the early days, she single-handedly took care of the sadhakam as well as their overall education and health, like a mother would. By 1960, she took a formal bow from dance to devote time to her children and her home.”
Thankamani’s was a life that could have left us a bountiful legacy, had she not opted for the domestic role in preference to the one on the stage. Yes, the times prescribed that ‘Marriage and dance will not work.’ The poet may have been right, after all!
Documenting the dancer
* The digital library and documentation centre of the National Dance Museum in the Guru Gopinath Natanagramam has been named after Thankamani Gopinath. On the occasion of the centenary year, a bust of Thankamani will be unveiled.
* The Vishwa Kala Kendra, the dance institution founded by Guru Gopinath in Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram, has undertaken the task of documenting the choreography of the couple during the centenary year and publish a CD of the original Kerala Natanam
